ARCTIC BICYCLE CLUB MOUNTAIN RACING DIVISION
MAY 2, 2007
ARCTIC BICYCLE CLUB MOUNTAIN RACING DIVISION
MAY 2, 2007
Clouds parted and the race began with sunny skies. The finish, at the top of Arctic Valley near the Alpin Glow Ski Resort, was a different story: freezing temperatures and snow flurries. But a few flakes didn't stop Matt Novakovich from breaking the course record. Novakovich broke the record with a finish of 34 minutes 19 seconds.
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EXPERT: 1) Matt Novakovich 34 minutes 19 seconds (New Course Record) 2) Andy Pohl 43:09 3) Pete Basinger 43:33 SPORT 1) Jay Nordeen 48:35 2) Mike Beiergrohslein 52:24 3) Andy Hall 55:41 4) Curtis Page 57:27 |
1) Zachary Huff 57:41 MASTERS: 1) Charlie Sassara 1:01:57 JUNIOR: 1) Micah McKinnis 53:58 WOMEN SPORT: 1) Rebecca McKee 54:06 BEGINNER 1) Deb Essex 1:07:40 |
Matt Novakovich climbs Arctic Valley Road during uphill racing on July 14, 2005. Novakovich set the record May 2, 2007, with a time of 34 minutes, 19 seconds. He described the feeling as "euphoric."
Matt Novakovich cools off at the top of Arctic Valley Road after taking first in the hill climb racing event on July 14, 2005. Novakovich missed the record by 15 seconds in 2005. He set a record on the course May 2, 2007.
Anchorage Daily News
Published: May 4, 2007
Almost 16 years ago, Anchorage's Joe Yelverton set a mountain biking record on a hill so arduous it seemed nobody would beat the mark.
Riding a two-speed cyclocross -- a hybrid of a road bike and mountain bike -- Yelverton climbed grueling Arctic Valley Road in 35 minutes, 38 seconds to set a mark that's become legendary in Arctic Bicycle Club circles since 1991. But on Wednesday night, a 33-year-old rider put Yelverton's storied record to rest. Riding a 17 1/2-pound Cannondale cyclocross, Matt Novakovich broke the record by a whopping 79 seconds. Novakovich finished the 6.2-mile, 1,800-foot, dirt-road climb up the military road leading to Alpenglow Ski Area in 34:19 to dust the club's oldest record. He now owns records in five of the club's seven hill climb records -- Hiland Road, Steward Road, Glen Alps and Hatcher Pass are the others. But breaking the Arctic Valley Road record, he said, was his most accomplished feat.
"It's a hard record to break because nobody trains on that thing," said Novakovich, referring to the bone-jarring, demanding terrain that keeps most hill-climbers on paved roads. Yelverton set the record May 22, 1991. Since then, Novakovich has been one of the few cyclists determined to bust it, in part because the washboard road is so gnarly "It took me so many tries," he said. He almost broke the mark on a warm and sunny July evening in 2005, falling 15 seconds short. But on Wednesday, he said "conditions were perfect."
With temperatures hovering in the mid-40s, 12 riders started near Moose Run Golf Course. The clouds had just parted. The road was dusty, and there was no washboard. Novakovich can handle dust, he said. It's rumble strips on washboard roads that numb his body and heat that weakens him. But Novakovich didn't have to worry about either problem Wednesday. Still, the climb is a lung and leg assassin. His body burned like battery acid. Twenty minutes into the race, with temperatures dipping to the low 30s, it started to snow. "At that point I was like 'Oh this isn't what I need right now,' " Novakovich said.
His wife and three children followed in their Chevy Sequoia, stopping periodically along the 6.2-mile course to watch dad. Doing math in his head, Novakovich calculated that he was on pace to smash the record. Still, he needed extra motivation to help keep him going. "Cheer for me! Cheer for me!" Novakovich gasped as his family drove past. His 4-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, peeked her head out the sunroof and yelled "Do it for the family! Do it for Natalia!" -- her 9-month-old sister.
When Novakovich crossed the finish line, only his family and a couple club officials were there to witness his record ride. He described the feeling as "euphoric" and felt light headed. After all, it took him six tries to break the 16-year-old record. "It was a big celebration amongst a small amount of people," Novakovich said.